On the ink block
LAUREN EASUM & IGOR TELINGE • Ex-Libris Paris
WORK • Friday Routine
LAUREN EASUM & IGOR TELINGE • founders & creative directors • Ex-Libris Paris
Neighborhood you live in: Le Marais, 3rd arr
Neighborhood you work in: Saint-Germain-des-Prés, 6th arr
It’s Friday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
It’s a gentle, golden-lit Friday at our atelier in Le Marais. We’re wrapping up the final touches on a capsule collection in collaboration with a Japanese brand — a very special project close to our hearts. Our studio is a blend of old-world charm and clean modernity, scattered with moodboards, fabric swatches, and stacks of old books. We balance working from home with studio time, but Fridays are always for in-person creative sessions with the team. During a mid-afternoon chat, we suddenly realized we’d run out of brass plates for our engravings! So off we went, to the last true artisanal metal supplier in Paris: Tartaix Métaux Outillage on rue du Pont aux Choux — that street name? Pure poetry.
What’s on the agenda for today?
We're finalizing color variations for a signature design — a client in Tokyo requested three exclusive shades. There’s also a shoot next week at Le Bon Marché for our corner on the second floor. Teaser: We’re redesigning our display — think sculptural minimalism meets literary chic.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
Tonight, it’s dinner with friends at Le Bizetro in the 16th — classic French food, a warm, noisy, joyful atmosphere. People talk loud, sometimes yell with laughter. It’s the kind of place where you always feel at home.Tomorrow, we might do a relaxed lunch on the terrace at Cherche Minuit, a modern Breton brasserie in the 6th we love recommending to out-of-towners — chic but unfussy.
How about a little leisure or culture?
Saturday afternoon, we're heading to Mobilier National for the current exhibition: Le Dernier Sacre, curated by none other than our ultimate design idol, Jacques Garcia. Expect drama, history, and French opulence. Sunday morning, it’s back to childhood memories: sailing little wooden boats in the pond at Jardin du Luxembourg. We race them across the water like we’re five again. It’s deeply nostalgic — Igor used to come here as a child, and every time, it feels like time travel.
Any weekend getaways?
Not this weekend, but next one we’re escaping to Le Perche with friends for a breath of fresh air. We often stay at our house in Mortagne-au-Perche, or sometimes at the utterly charming D’une Île — a cozy countryside hotel run by the same team behind Septime in Paris. Also, a must: we always pick up wine from La Vie en Rouge — a true hidden gem.
What was your last great vacation?
Hangzhou and Shanghai! Igor used to live in China, and wanted to show Lauren the country through his eyes. We stayed at The PuLi Hotel and Spa which was beautifully serene — an oasis in the middle of the city. And for an unforgettable dinner? Din Tai Fung, of course.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
We've been collecting rare books and prints from the 17th and 18th centuries at auctions — these pieces deeply inspire our design work and creative direction. Check out Librairie Clavreuil.
What store or service do you always recommend?
Astier de Villatte — for their ceramics, candles, and unapologetically poetic world. A classic for hosting afternoon tea with friends in style.